Teachings
by Annwyd
Summary: On an ordinary day, Owain sets out to teach Lucina his ways, and he learns something himself.


The rising sun had just cleared the tops of the trees behind them when Lucina met Owain behind the tent. The both of them were diligent, and they had already cleaned up and dressed for the day. But then, it was going to be a momentous day.

Owain glanced from side to side, then pitched his voice just so that anyone spying on them would have to strain a little to hear it. "And lo! Our quest begins in clandestine obscurity; how fitting for an unassuming journey that will have great consequences! We cannot reveal too much too soon!"

"Oh," Lucina said. "Would you give me a moment, Owain? I think I've got it…'we're starting the day off in hiding, because we don't want everyone to find out our plans before we're ready.' That's it, isn't it?"

Owain opened his mouth. Then he stopped, and he sighed. "Uh, you don't have to translate for me today. This time I'm teaching you, remember? You just go about your day, and I'll narrate the most momentous things you do. It's like I'm the one translating this time!" And he gave her a grin.

"I see," Lucina said, with a dubious face.

Owain sprang into action. "You speak words meant to be sincere, but from the bepuzzlement of your mien, I can tell you have not yet—"

But Lucina had already turned and started heading down the hill to the mess tent. "It's still a new day," she said. The new sun shone off her dark hair like her serious face deserved a halo. "Important or otherwise, we both need breakfast."

"How do you do that?" Owain asked as he caught up with her.

Lucina looked puzzled once more. "Do what?"

He just shook his head.

* * *

Breakfast passed without incident—it was difficult for Owain to teach Lucina much about dramatizing her life when they were both busy eating. Afterwards, though, she gave him a rare opportunity.

As she prepared to take their dishes out back to rinse them off, Lucina paused, looking down at the table. "I just remembered. When we were little, before everything became dark…"

Owain started to lift a hand to stop her, to congratulate her for that turn of phrase.

But she went on. "…we had food fights at breakfast until our parents stopped us, didn't we?" She smiled a little. "I was just remembering…"

"Aha," Owain said. "You remember wrong! We did not 'have food fights,' Lucina. We answered the stirring call of our blood that begged us to embroil ourselves in conflict, even at the youngest of ages, with all materials available to us!"

"I see," Lucina said, for the second time today. "I thought we were just being children, Owain. It was one of our last chances to do so."

He sighed as she picked up the dishes and walked away.

* * *

They conducted their morning sparring session together this day; that had always been the plan. In fact, initially Owain had only thought to narrate that much for Lucina. She was the one who'd suggested he dramatize her whole day instead. "Anna called it 'learning by immersion,' and offered to sell me a three-tiered magical course in it, but I didn't see why I should do that when I have you," she'd said.

Cynthia joined them briefly, and the three of them did their best to call out successively more outrageous monikers for their attacks. Despite all their attempts, Lucina remained worryingly bad at actually coming up with dramatic names. But Owain and Cynthia refused to give up on her.

After Cynthia departed, Lucina and Owain were left to cool down in the aftermath of a hard morning's work.

He watched her closely as she stretched and moved her body through the paces of small and tedious exercises. "Be wary, any foes who think to strike us while we rest! Even now, her blood seethes with unspent vigor, pushing her to restless movement—"

"That's not true, though," Lucina said. "Kjelle taught me some stretches for finishing off a morning's practice, and I thought that I should take after her example. You all consider me a leader, so I will value every contribution you suggest to me."

Owain scratched his head and said nothing.

* * *

The afternoon was spent going from tent to tent, checking up with the other Shepherds and discussing plans for their next battle. Owain parted from Lucina here and there so as not to make it too obvious that they were together for the day, and he came up with some new greeting each time he rejoined her.

At one point, he came upon her crouched in the middle of a path, carefully clearing small rocks away from it.

Owain seized the chance. "Our enemies lurk at every twist of the road! The brave Lucina knows this danger very well. She inspects each twig and pebble for enemy curses, forever wary of the next attack!"

"But that's a lie," Lucina said, straightening up.

"Well…yeah," Owain admitted. "That's how it works. Uh, that is to say! You make the lies true by speaking them in your powerful tones!"

She shook her head. "I'm content with what I do here already, Owain. Do you remember…? When we were little, when he was still around…Frederick would run ahead of us as we played, and make sure the ground was free of any obstructions. I think of him and his tireless service, and sometimes I just want to carry it on with my own hands."

Owain put his face in his hands.

"Owain?" Lucina shook his shoulder a little worriedly. "Is something wrong?"

He groaned. "I'll get back to you on that, Lucina…"

* * *

The sun was finally setting when they retired behind the tent once more, right where they had started out in the morning.

"I'm sorry, Owain," was the first thing Lucina said. "I don't think I was the best student today. No matter how many times you tried to speak your way for me, I couldn't pick up on it."

Owain tried to keep up a brave face, and he nodded. "It's as I feared, Lucina: our paths are such that meet once, all too briefly, in a lonely wood, then part forevermore, both to continue to their own glory. But hark well! Yours-" And there he stopped. There he sighed.

"What's wrong?" she asked him.

"Nothing's wrong," he said. "Really! It's just…"

"I'm trying my best," she said suddenly, her voice tense. "I really am. But every day, the weight of what we must do won't leave me alone. I can't escape into your world, Owain. I have too many ties binding me to this one."

"That's it," Owain said. "You aren't! You aren't trying at all, and you come up with things like that! Gods, Lucina, what I'd give to—" But there he stopped, and he looked at her face. Her mouth was still tightly drawn, her eyes a little haunted. "No," he said. "It's all right. Just trust me when I say you're way better than you give yourself credit for."

She blinked. "I am?"

"Yeah," he said. "In every way. In fact, I do believe the student has had within her the ability to surpass the astonished teacher all along! I acknowledge your unexpected greatness, Lucina!"

And she smiled. "Then can we do this again sometime? It was a fun day, Owain."

He paused. "You had fun?"

She nodded, her smile still chasing the shadows from her eyes. "Yes. I did, very much."

"Then," he said, "it will be my duty to spend time at your side once more. Ack! I feel my sword hand already burning to spar with you once more! I must…resist!"

And then she laughed, and he ruined the whole thing by laughing along with her.


End file.
